The Israeli military reported that Hezbollah launched a significant barrage of rockets and multiple drones into northern Israel on Saturday, resulting in the death of one person.
One of the drones was aimed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vacation residence, as confirmed by his spokesperson.
The attacks coincide with escalating violence in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 individuals at the Al Maghazi refugee camp and seven more at Gaza City’s Shati camp, according to Gaza health officials.
Additionally, the deteriorating conditions in Gaza hospitals have led to further casualties, with two patients succumbing at the Indonesian Hospital due to power outages and depleted medical supplies caused by Israel’s blockade. A nurse was also reported killed at Kamal Adwan hospital.
Both Israel and its adversaries, Hamas and Hezbollah, have committed to continued fighting, dampening hopes that the death of Palestinian militant leader Yahya Sinwar would bring an end to the prolonged conflict.
Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the current Gaza war, was killed by Israeli forces in the Palestinian enclave earlier this week.
In the ongoing Israeli campaign, Jabalia, Gaza’s largest and most historic refugee camp, has been the target of relentless airstrikes, as Israel seeks to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping.
Simultaneously, Lebanon’s health ministry reported the deaths of at least two people in an Israeli airstrike near Jounieh, a Christian-majority town north of Beirut. This marks the first reported Israeli attack in the area.
The Israeli military is investigating the incident, but Hezbollah has yet to comment.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced the death of Hezbollah’s deputy commander in the Bint Jbeil area on Friday, and said that troops had seized weapons, including anti-tank missiles.
By midday Saturday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 11 rocket attacks on Israeli military positions, though they have not yet confirmed any involvement in drone attacks or those targeting Netanyahu’s holiday home.
In northern Israel, rockets were intercepted by defense systems, but one struck a residential building.
Israeli police confirmed that one person was killed, and at least nine others were injured in separate incidents. Air raid sirens forced residents to rush to shelters.
Netanyahu’s spokesperson assured the public that the prime minister was not near his holiday residence in Caesarea during the attack, and no casualties occurred at the site. Residents in the area reported hearing helicopters overhead before a powerful explosion rocked the town, as described to Israel’s N12 News.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been engaged in escalating exchanges of fire with Israel since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in Gaza in October 2023.
Lebanon’s health ministry reports that around 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon over the past month, while Israeli authorities say that 59 people have died in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.
The conflict traces back to the deadly Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel’s intense military retaliation has resulted in over 42,500 Palestinian deaths, according to officials in Gaza.
The ongoing offensive has displaced the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, injured tens of thousands, and devastated key infrastructure, including hospitals and schools.
Western leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, have suggested that Sinwar’s death might open a window for a truce in Gaza and lead to the release of the remaining hostages.
Despite this, negotiations for a ceasefire have stalled for weeks. Biden acknowledged on Friday that while a ceasefire might be achievable in Lebanon, finding a path to one in Gaza would be much more difficult.
